Hozier's Music Video 'Take Me to Church' is a Chilling Commentary on Anti-Gay Oppression: VIDEO

Directed by Brendan Canty of Feel Good Lost, Hozier says the video “references the recent increase of organised attacks and torturing of homosexuals in Russia, which is subsequent to a long, hateful, and oppressive political campaign against the LGBT community. The song was always about humanity at its most natural, and how that is undermined ceaselessly by religious organisations and those who would have us believe they act in its interests. What has been seen growing in Russia is no less than nightmarish, I proposed bringing these themes into the story and Brendan liked the idea.”

Yeah, it's a great song -truly great- it is just painful and horrific......but what a reminder of what is going on against gay people whether Laramie, Wyoming or Moscow.

And most of all it is a bitter wake-up call to us all.......to stop being so damn smug about the progress we've made.......

Violence is encouraged by conventional discrimination, by the Catholic Church, by Evangelicals, by insane propagandists such as Lively, by not enacting ENDA, by allowing religious exemptions so that citizens can discriminate against same sex couples on the basis their private religious bigotries.........and we even have one of our own, Elton, with his grandiose notions of reasoning with the Russians. Even refusing to sell a wedding cake to same sex couples encourages a belief that we are "the lesser".....that we are " intrinsically defective".....well done Catholic Catechism.
All these hands are covered in blood, whether that is spilled in Uganda, Cameroon, Jamaica or Russia.

Let's put a moritorium on giving ourselves awards until we have brought the fight to every $***hole that considers us untermenschen.
This vid makes my blood boil in rage.

Um...Jack. Bringing the fight to everyone?
As in the Church? The world?

I agree that people are still far too complacent within the community, if that's the point you're aiming for, but some people deserve recognition for bringing the fight to even just a few, depending on the context.

A little perspective, maybe...?

Posted by: Leo | Sep 25, 2013 2:32:38 PM

Very James Blake. I went to watch this video and my Propellerhead Reason opened. Eerie.

Posted by: moldy mayonaisse | Sep 25, 2013 2:37:12 PM

Great chorus.

Posted by: John C | Sep 25, 2013 2:47:19 PM

Hozier does an acoustic cover of that Fun song you like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX7opUCPT6M

Posted by: moldy mayonaisse | Sep 25, 2013 2:48:30 PM

There must be a more artful way to do this kind of thing. This video is pompous and didactic. The director has the opposite of a light touch -- everything is meant to hit you on the head like a hammer, pounding you into submission. The good character are lily-white. The bad characters are pure evil. This is extremely obvious propaganda.

Posted by: will | Sep 25, 2013 2:50:14 PM

@ LEO :
It's just that the way of treating us in society, as some kind of 'other' or less important than straights, or defective, is all part of a mind set.

DADT took years to revoke !
DOMA and Prop. 8 more years.
Every little progress we make has been the subject of massive effort.
Where it takes such an effort to effect equality in any given area it indicates a greater malaise at the very heart of straight society; that is fortified as I have pointed out by the Church and by a failed political inertia.

Yes our war has to be with the world from Laramie to Moscow.

Where do you think it should be ? Confined to our back yard horizons ?

Why do they have to smoke pot before they kiss? This video looks like the future.

Posted by: GEe | Sep 25, 2013 3:02:08 PM

I am so sick and so tired of the violence. I really cannot take much more. I'm glad I'm not a young man any more. I fear that I would have no remorse for bashing back gay bashers wherever I found them. I suppose that's hypocritical, but I'm thoroughly fed up with gays being on the receiving end.

I didn't get any enjoyment from this video. It's depressing and sad.

Posted by: Bob R | Sep 25, 2013 3:22:12 PM

It's powerful but confusing. What the heck is in the box?

Posted by: DW | Sep 25, 2013 3:22:26 PM

great song!

Posted by: Joe | Sep 25, 2013 4:39:10 PM

That was very powerful and sad. Reminds you of why we need to keep fighting. Its not just a matter of being recognized or having a tax break, etc. It can be a matter of life and death. Humans are not born fearful. They're not born with hate. This is taught. So things can change. Thanks for sharing the video, Andy. . .

Posted by: JoseRVG | Sep 25, 2013 7:35:41 PM

Holy s---. That video just knocked me on the a--.
Brilliant.

Posted by: Marc | Sep 26, 2013 2:28:42 AM

The world need to respond to Russia and other countries. Allow immigration. Perhaps if all the talent and abilities of people that are so brutalized were missing, these countries would think twice.

Posted by: Michael | Sep 26, 2013 10:02:44 AM

I liked the video. But I don't "get it." What was in the box? Why was it important?

Posted by: James M | Sep 28, 2013 9:53:01 AM

What's in the box?

Posted by: Unknown | Nov 8, 2013 1:43:12 PM

Someone please tell me what you think is in the box!

Posted by: UNKNOWN | Nov 18, 2013 11:20:26 PM

In the box was the Bible.

Posted by: Georgios | Jan 12, 2014 7:59:47 AM

The box is symbolic of their secret. There's a growing fear throughout the video of what is in the box (by the mob) and also a fear of what could be taken or needs to be hidden (by the main characters). The fear is being illuminated by the mob as they drag the man and the box to what, I guess, is a symbolic ritual of sacrifice.
Also: @Will
"There must be a more artful way to do this kind of thing. This video is pompous and didactic. The director has the opposite of a light touch -- everything is meant to hit you on the head like a hammer, pounding you into submission. The good character are lily-white. The bad characters are pure evil. This is extremely obvious propaganda."

"Obviously" you don't understand the actual pain and suffering the LGBT community in Russia is dealing with right now. There is no need to artfully depict this because the images that were shown in this video are both very corporeal and symbolic, "artful".

Posted by: Matt | Jul 3, 2014 2:42:12 PM

If someone is gay, bi, lesbian, or transgender their still people just like me and you.